Netanyahu weighs collapse of peace talks

[Jefferson23]

After long hours of discussion, a senior diplomatic-security forum that met last week [March 24] to discuss the immediate implications of a breakdown in the negotiations with the Palestinians released a pessimistic and worrisome report. The participants in the forum, which was sponsored by one of Israel’s leading research institutions, had played key roles for years on the diplomatic and security fronts, some of them until only recently. The purpose of this brainstorming session was to present potential scenarios in advance of the seemingly inevitable breakdown of the talks with the Palestinians.

Although there have long been similar prognoses of Israel’s diplomatic isolation should there be no peace process, the picture painted this time is even more depressing than usual. There was unanimity at the table that a negative outcome of the talks — renewed in June 2013 — would place Israel in an even more diplomatically problematic situation.

According to the forum’s participants, the immediate implications might be: international legitimization of the Palestinian appeal to the UN for recognition, with European backing, and a parallel intensification of the settlement boycott phenomenon — with it leaking across the Green Line — causing harm to the Israeli economy. And as if that were not enough, the members of the forum also estimated that the United States would be left feeling disappointed and hurt if the negotiations fell apart, after taking every conceivable step to ensure that they succeed. And so, the US would reduce its involvement in the region, start sitting on the fence and avoid helping us in all matters pertaining to Israel’s legitimacy in Europe.

It is reasonable to assume that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is very familiar with their assessments, and that he is aware of the severe implications of a blow-up in the negotiations with the Palestinians. Otherwise, what reason could he possibly have to try to buy more time for the negotiations, which were supposed to end on April 29?

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/03/netanyahu-status-quo-negotiations-prisoners--release.html#ixzz2xvhDVHmt

[Scootaloo]

1. Should have thought about that before trying to extort more out of a done deal.

Maybe the Israeli people need to start looking for an alternative government. They've been recycling the same mafiosi motherfuckers for decades now, with no progress and a continually degrading international standing.

[shira]

2. Come on Scoot. The Israelis wanted negotiations to extend well beyond April....

You believe that was too much to ask in exchange for the 4th prisoner release?

[Scootaloo]

5. In and of itself, no it's not too much to ask.

Where it becomes "too much to ask," is when, at the eleventh hour, you halt an existing agreement, conditional on a new demand being injected into it.

Had Israel carried through the final release, and then just asked to extend negotiations or - heavens to betsy - offered something minor in exchange for continuing negotiations, I have no doubt Abbas would have agreed. If not, well, both sides DID agree to the deadline and it is what it is.

Instead, Israel took an already-negotiated agreement hostage and demanded that for Israel to meet its end of the already-agreed bargain, Palestine would have to give them more negotiating time in exchange for what Palestine was owed anyway.

It's a hostile move, in terms of negotiating anything, and shows an untrustworthiness that would bring any further dealingss into very tight scrutiny and high expectations - thus Palestine's list of conditions.

I have to come away with one of two conclusions.

Either

1) Israel's leadership has no interest in a peace settlement and is intentionally stonewalling and blowing up existing agreements

or

2) This guy is Israel's lead negotiator

[Jefferson23]

4. +1

[azurnoir]

3. Shouldn't Bibi have placed that on the scale a week ago, when Israel decided to not to release

the prisoners as agreed on?